‘Scene’ in Sheffield, ‘TM Travel’

‘TM Travel’ (TMT) operate widely across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. 

 

Part of the ‘Wellglade’ group and whilst the head office is at Heanor in Derbyshire, the operating base is at Halfway near Sheffield.

 

Some of ‘TMT’s fleet is comprised of older buses that are in the twilight of their careers. One that came new was.

 

1294 RU

A VDL DB250 with East Lancs Lowloader bodywork. 

New in 2003 its original registration was YJ53 VBM. The second image shows the upper deck seating which is quite luxurious and ensures that the passenger has a comfortable journey.

 

J850 TSC

A Leyland Olympian carrying an Alexander RH body. 

It was new in 1992 to ‘Lothian Regional Transport’ and at that time had two doors. This bus was one of three identical vehicles that came to ‘TMT’ via ‘Ensign’ the bus dealership in 2006.

 

TM52 BUS

An Optare Solo that was new to ‘TMT’ in 2002.

 

YN57 KFE

A further Optare Solo, the shorter 28 seat version came new in 2007 and is seen operating under contract to Travel South Yorkshire.

W413 YAL

Another Optare Solo that came from ‘tb’ and keeps its ‘tb’ fleet number. It carries ‘TMT’ titles over the remains of it former ‘tb’ fleet livery.

 

W292 EYG

Another Optare Solo. One of several that originated with HAD Coaches of Shotts in Scotland that came to TM via Dawson Rentals.

 

G535 VBB

A Leyland Olympian with Northern Counties bodywork seen in the ‘Chesterfield College’ branded livery. In an earlier life it worked in London for ‘Arriva’. 

'Scene' at Crystal Peaks

Crystal Peaks (CP) is an out of town shopping complex located on the South Eastern fringes of the City of Sheffield and within a few miles of the M1 motorway.

 

It has its own bus station with eight stands and is a stop on the ‘Stagecoach Supertram’ (SS) route linking Sheffield with a large park and ride complex at Halfway.

 

Bus services are provided by First, Stagecoach and TM Travel. Sheffield Community Transport minibuses are regular visitors also. The bus station is seen with the shopping centre on the right.

‘SS’ No. 113 is seen approaching the  ‘CP’ tram stop. I do not know if it is the foreshortening effect of the zoom lens but there does seem to be a ‘forest’ of metal posts supporting the tramway catenary.

 

 

YX63 LGL

An Alexander Dennis Ltd. (ADL) Dart SLF 4 with an Enviro 200 body working one a number of routes that link ‘CP’ with a variety of Sheffield’s suburbs.

YJ55 BLK 

An Optare Solo working one of the ‘SUPERTRAMLINK’ services to the township of Killamarsh.

 

 YN61 BGZ which ‘Stagecoach’s’ fleet list shows as being a 'Dennis Trident 2 Alexander Enviro 400 Hybrid' wearing the green variation of ‘Stagecoach’ standard livery to underline its ‘green’ credentials. Seen operating on service 120 that it shares with 'First'

CN09 CKJ

Sheffield Community Transport’s contribution was this smartly turned out Mercedes- Benz Sprinter.

 

YK07 AYV

A ‘First South Yorkshire’ (FSY) Volvo B9TL with Wright Gemini bodywork on the jointly operated with Stagecoach (SC) route 120.

 

Earlier in its career it had worked for ‘First’ in Leeds.

 

T831 MAK

Another of ‘FSY’ Volvo. This time a B10BLE model again with Wright bodywork.

 

YN58 NDV

The first of ‘Wellglade’ group company ‘TM Travel’s (TMT) contribution is this Optare Solo which came new.

Further ‘TMT’ vehicles were,

R32 LHK

A Volvo Olympian bodied by Alexander which came from ‘Dublin Bus’. In fact it entered service with ‘TMT’ in full Dublin livery.

YG52 DHC

 

Another Optare Solo this time working in the livery of ‘Travel South Yorkshire’ together with additional ‘TMT’ titles in blue.

W289 EYG

 

An Optare Solo in ‘proper’ ‘TMT’ livery (well almost). One of a number of similar that came to ‘TMT’ via ‘Dawson Rentals’ having originally been with ‘HAD Coaches’ of Shotts in Scotland.

 

'Scene' in Ripley (Derbyshire)

‘trentbarton’ (tb) have a wide range of route branded services and sometimes it is necessary for various reasons to substitute a fleet liveried vehicle.

 

However, it is most unusual for ‘tb’ to substitute one of their own fleet vehicles with a bus from the associated ‘TM Travel’ (TMT) fleet.

 

Here we see TMT’s YN08 JWC on Ripley Market Place this week deputising on service 1A which links Ripley with Aldercar via Heanor and Langley Mill. The more usual rolling stock would be a fleet liveried Optare Solo.

 

YN08 JWC

A MAN 12.240 with Plaxton’s Centro body is seen wearing the basic livery that it carried whilst working in Sheffield on the ‘busy bee’ service which is a free service linking various points in the City centre.

 

In recent times it has been helping out on the ‘tb’ ’skylink’ service linking Nottingham with the East Midlands Airport.

 

 

'Scene' in Matlock today 17th. October 2013

It is seven months since I did my last piece about Matlock. That appeared on the Focus Transport website and is still available to view by going to focustransport .org. 

 

Then go to articles from January to July and scroll down to 9th of March and it is entitled Matlock 2013.

 

Today however I was looking at what was new to me or different.

 

‘yourbus’ are perhaps better known for their tussles with ‘trentbarton’ (tb) in and out of Nottingham and Derby but quietly they have set about building a network in and around this central part of Derbyshire.

 

All the services currently operated have been taken over in the last couple of years or so from other operators, mainly

‘TM Travel’ and ‘Doyle’s Coaches of Alfreton’.

 

It does not end there however,  from the end of October they are taking over the 113 Belper to Ashbourne service from ‘Glover’s of Ashbourne.

In addition, a new route the 114 between Ashbourne and Derby replaces the old 109. It was formerly operated by 'Arriva'.

 

Services are run with a mixture of Wright Streetlite W/F and D/F ‘s which are now about a year old. 

 

My experience is that they have settled down to being regular, reliable performers being warm and comfortable at the same time. That will do for me !!

 

 

H822 DVL

Licenced as an Iveco Ford. It looks like a former mobile shop or library but gets included because of the use of the word ‘bus’ in its livery. 

 

Sat in Sainsbury’s car park it seemed to do a steady trade.

 

IIG 9818

Also at Sainsbury’s was this VDL Bova of ‘Caledonian Travel’ which was touring in ‘Nottingham and the Peak’.

 

(tb) are known to be refurbishing the Scania/Wrights on the ‘sixes’ services which cover a corridor of Derbyshire from Derby as far North as Bakewell, as far West as Wirksworth and as far East as Ripley.

 

It seems to be taking some time to complete. There are a small number of buses wearing the new base colour with little branding while the old livery is still in widespread use. One of each is illustrated.

 

FJ55 BZP

 

 FJ55 ABO

 

 

YN06 CJE

 

YN08 OAJ

 

were High Peak buses contribution whilst in a similar livery.

 

G535 VBB 

 

Brings the Sheffield to Matlock via Bakewell service 218 service into town.

 

Formerly this Leyland Olympian with Northern Counties Palatine body now with 'TM Travel' worked in London for ‘Arriva’ in full London red livery.

 

V327 KMY 

A Dennis Dart with Plaxton’s Pointer bodyworkIs another former London resident having worked there when it was part of ‘Metrobus’s fleet. Now with ‘DW Coaches’ of Clay Cross.

W423 RTO

The last time I saw this 'TM Travel' former ‘tb’ Optare Solo it carried no titling having been just at that time been transferred from one to the other. 

Now properly identified, its green livery dates back to the days when it worked on 'tb’s se7ens service between Derby and Belper.

 

YN09 AOJ

A Plaxton Cheetah bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario from ‘G & J Holmes’ of Clay Cross.

 

MX58 AVE

An ‘Amber Valley Community Transport’ Volkswagen Crafter unusually not carrying its normally distinctive side branding.

Simply Solos part 1

Optare Solos are in use with a huge number of bus companies in the UK and have been since the 1990s, As a result of this longevity they've carried many different liveries. 'Simply Solos' hopes to illustrate this as and when they cross my path…

YJ57 EHB Optare Solo of TM Travel Wellglade groups fleet No. 1193 bought new in 2007 carries the white/blue Travel South Yorkshire livery at Crystal Peaks on July 1 2013 with a Sheffield City Centre service.